Pages

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Fly Mask Info

There are lots of stories floating around the horse world about non-equiestrians calling the ASPCA because someone has blinded all their horses and put them out in the field. I've even been asked a few times.

Megs modeling here no-ears variety
Maddie does have covered ears on his mask.

Fly masks keep the flies off the horses face, but they are as see-through as sunglasses for people. Some have ears on the mask, and these are usually very long giving your horse a very strange appearance. Some have funny faces on them.

My guys go out in their fly masks every day during the summer, except if it's going to rain. When it's rainy or dark, combined with the fly masks you can be inadvertently actually blinding your horses.

Only under special circumstances (blind-ness, eye-injury, sever sun reaction) should a horse be wearing a fly-mask outside at night, and you've got to make sure your paddocks are very safe. All fly masks should come with straps that can release if the horse gets hung up.

A bane for owners who have their horses out with others who enjoy taking off their friends fly masks for entertainment purposes!
(In which case a doubled velcro strap usually puts and end to the shenanigans)